The musket
The musket was the main weapon for foot
soldiers in the Napoleonic wars. The musket was
slow and difficult to load. It took about
thirty seconds, depending on the soldier, to
load the gun. If a soldier was lucky, he would
be able to fire off a maximum of three shots in
one minute.
These muskets were muzzle loading weapons,
meaning the bullet and powder were poured into
the barrel. They were then rammed down further
with a ramrod. When the trigger was pulled, a
flint would spark through a small hole causing
the gun powder to explode. Ultimately sending
the bullet out of the musket.
ramrod
During the Napoleonic
Wars, many officers
carried pistols.
To fire a pistol, you
had to have a good
flint. Seamless modern
steal would be used to
strike the threaded
flint to create sparks.
The sparks reacted with
the gun powder and
caused the pistol to
fire.
The
pistol
The cannon fired
a four, six,
eight, or twelve
pound cast iron
ball, depending
on the size of
its barrel. An
artillery crew
would be able to
fire up to two or
three shots per
minute.
Sending cast iron
balls into enemy
forces. The range of
the cannons could
reach from 600 to 1800
yards.
The sword was usually the
weapon of choice for
officers. Swords varied
greatly in style from
nation to nation and from
unit to unit.
British infantry swords
were generally straight
bladed and were sharpened
on both sides. This allowed
a soldier to strike and
enemy from both directions.
The pike
The pike was an extremely long
weapon, carried by infantry. It was
usually 10 to 14 feet in length. It
had a wooden shaft with an iron or
steel spearhead attached to the
top. The shaft near the head was
often supported with metal strips
called cheeks.
The pike could exceed 22 feet in
length. Although, this was very rare.
It allowed the pike men (infantry
soldiers) to draw their weapon toward
their enemy to protect their
swordsmen(picture). Placing the pike
men in the center of the flank
provided all around protection for the
soldiers.
Cheeks
What was the maximum number of shots
the musket could fire off in one
minute?
The gun powder and bullet are shoved
further down the barrel with a……………?
Three shots in one minute
Ramrod
Pistol questions
What caused the pistol to fire? (two steps)
1.Metal strikes the flint to create
sparks.
2.The sparks ignite the gunpowder to set
of the pistol.
What are two sizes of cannon balls that the
cannon would be able to fire?
6,8,or 12 pounds.
Approximately how far could a cannon ball
be fired?
600 – 1800 Yards
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